Universal joint



` Dec. 2,' 1941. G. s1|LLwAGoN, JR 2,264,727

UNIVERSAL JOINT Filed Mallen 22, 194

411|. f 7. f i 1F 1N VEN TOR 650,965 B. llwnaafw/e.

A TTOR NE Y Patented Dec. 2, 1941 UNITED STAT ES PATENT OFFICE- UNIVERSAL Jom'r George Stlllwagon, Jr., Dayton, Ohio, assignor ,of one-haii! to Kenneth G.. Fraser, Dayton,

Application March 22,1940. serial No. 325,427

2 claims. (ci. 644-17) Iihis .invention relates to a universal joint. and one objectof the invention is to providea universal joint of strong durable construction which can be manufactured and assembled at a rela' tively low cost.

A further object of the invention is tojprovide a universal joint which will have a strength large in proportion to its weight and will be of balanced design to substantially equalize the forces and stress transfers.

inserted therein without weakening any of the pivot members, and which will minimize the lbending forces on the pivot members and jaws.

A further: object of the invention. is to'provlde such a universal joint which will be lcapable of a relatively large pivotal movement.

Other objects of the invention may appear as the device is described in detail. l l

In'the accompanying drawing Fig. lisaplan view of a universal joint embodying my inven tion, showing the coupling members in aline' ment; Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the couplingv members in angulairelation one tothe -4 l0 o A further object of the inventionis to providea universal joint of suchA a character that pivot members of substantially the same size may be I2 to receive the end of a shaft or the like. At its other or inner end each member is provided with laterally spaced jaws, I3 and I 4, and the jaws of the two members are arranged in intersecting planes.l In theparticular arrangement here illustrated each jaw has a flat/.inner surface and `the jaws Aof each member are arranged in planesv extending at right angles to the yplanes of the other member. Each jaw is providednear its outer end with an opening I5 adapted to receive one end 'of a pivot member, these open.

ings being referred to asbearing openings.

Interposed between the jaws'otv both coupling members is a connecting member I6, which may be of any suitableshape but is preferably in the form of a substantially square block which'is provided with intersecting bores I1 and I8, the bores intersecting jadjacent the center ofthe l block and each of the bores.beingalined with other; Fig.A 3 is a longitudinal section taken on .the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;J Fig. 4 isa transverse section taken -on the lined-4 oi Fig. 3, looking in thedirectiongof the arrows; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the inner'surface of a portion of'one l of the jaws; Fig'. 6 is a sectional view similar to Fig. '3 but showing modied means for locking the pivot members;-Fig'. '7 is a transverse section, taken oh menne 1- 1 of Fig. 4, ,showing a modified form of locking device; Fig. 8 is'a longitudinal section, taken on the line 3--3 ,of Fig. 41, showing stillanother formof rlocking de# vice: andFig. 9 is a transverse sectionv taken on the line 9 9 of Fig. 8.. A

In this drawing I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of the' invention, together with 'a mmor'modmcation thereof, but y11; wm be understood that the joint may take various forms without departing `from 'the spirit of the inven-r tion# In -that form here illustrated the,joint comprises two members, I0 andV II, adaptedito be secured to shafts orA other parts which are to be yconnected-by the joint, and herein called -coupling members; The coupling members may .beattached to theshafts or other parts, which are Jto be connected `by the joint,` in any suitable manner-and, ashere shown, each coupling member is providedat its outer end with a recess the bearing openingsv I5 of one pairof jaws. The

connecting block I 6 is connected with thalaws of the two' coupling members by pivot members |'9 and separate pivot members extend through the bearing openingsl of the respectivejaws and into the corresponding bores. Each pivotmember is here shown as a pin having on its outer end a hub 20 to engage the outer surface of the jaw through which the pin extends, and theV innrends of the pins terminate adjacent ythe intersection of the bores I1 and I8.' Suitable means are provided for retaining the pivot members or pins in their assembled positions and In the forms shown in Figs. 1 to 'l the inner' ends of the pins are so shaped'that theginner ends oi.' the several pins will bemin-overlapping yrelation in the intersectionfothe two bores Il and I8. v ,152,,Itefel'alolWthe inner end of each pinis .beveled on both sides to provide lthe same with a tapered eni portion which will extend between'. the'tapered end portions ofthe two other pins. By beveling each side o! the pin at an angle ci` approximately forty-five degrees the inner ends 0i the pins may vbe caused to have a full and direct contact one with the other, as shown inv Fig. 4, although it is not essential that the pins should be in contact one with the other, and it may be desirable. to arrange the same out of contact to simplify production. 'Ihe means for locking the pins against longitudinal displacement and thus retain the same in proper relation to the other parts of the joint may take various forms and, as shown in Fig. 3, the inner'ends may be inserted through the spaces-between the laws into the opening 2| while the coupling members are in angular relation one to the other,`

but to facilitate the operation the coupling members are preferably provided with openings 22 leading from the recesses I2 to the spaces being elements 26 may be retained in the openings 2| by any suitable means and, as here shown, the

metal of the connecting block is'swedged over the and th'us hold the pivot members against "outtween the jaws, thus enabling the welding deu vices to be inserted lo gitudinally through the coupling members into t e openings 2|. In the welding operation I prefer to utilize an amount' of `welding material sufllcient to build up in each opening 2| a relatively large mass 23 of that material, which adds to the strength of the Joint.

'I'he jaws I3 and 4I4 may be of any desired character but, as hereshown, each -jaw has its lateri al edges converging in substantially straight lines from the respective sides of the coupling member and has its inner end rounded. In the illus-I -trated embodiment of the invention coupling members l0 and are cylindrical in form and each member is provided with a diametrical slot to form the jaws, the root portion of each jaw conforming in shape and dimensions to the lateral portion of the. body of the coupling member of which itl forms a part and having, at its inner,

side. a maximum width approximating the diameter of the coupling member.' Due to the shape or the jaw and the width ofv its root portion with relation to the body of the couplingy member it has the strength necessary to resist breaking or distortion under heavy overloads or long use. 1 also prefer tovprovide each lateral edge of the jaw, in its inner portion, with a recess 24 arranged in that part of the edge which would AKotherwise contact with the corresponding part of another jaw when the coupling members were moved to the limit of their pivotal movement. 'Ihis permits a partial overlapping -of thentwo jaws at those points andmaterially increases the angle to which one coupling member may be movedl with relation to the other without causing the jaws to contact one' with the other, and due to the undercut arrangement of therecesses maintaining substantially the full strength of the Jaws.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a modified form of locking means for the pivot members in which 4a locking member is inserted in one or both the openings 2| and brought into locking engagement with the inner portions of the pivot members. In the arrangement shown, the inner portions of each 4pivot member or pin is provided with a recess 25, which may be formed by inserting a hollow mill in the 'openings 2| and forming. the recesses in the pivot members while the latter are held firmly in their assembled positions. After the recesses have been formed a tubular locking element ze is inserted m each opening ,with its inner edge extending into the recesses .25', therethe several pivot members and cause portions 28` thereof to ilow into the spaces 29, thus connecting the pivot -members with the connecting block and with one another.

In Figs. 8 and 9 there is shown another modiflcation of the means for locking the pivot members. The coupling members it may be of any suitable character and, as here shown.- are similar to those shown in Figs; 1 to 4. The connecting block 2| is provided withv intersecting bores 11o-receive the pivot members 32 but in this instance the pivot members are screw threaded into the respective bores. as shown at 33. The pivot members, or pins. 32 lare of such length that when fully inserted the inner end of each pivot member will extend slightly 4beyond the arcuate wall of the intersecting bore. After Vthe pivot members have been inserted and while they are heldagainst movement the innerlends thereof are provided with transverse recesses ll, preferably by passing a boring tool or the like through/the transverse opening vin the connecting block and between the ends ofthe pivot members, thus forming the recesses parallel'one with the other and in line with the opening 35. A locking pin 36 is then inserted in the recessed ends of the several pivot members tohold each pivot member against rotation in the block and thus prevent is longitudinal displacement. The ends of the locking pinspreferably lie in the opening 35 and may be retained therein by inserting the same with a pressed flt or by swedging the metal of the bl t into the ends oi' the opening 35, or by g both methods. The recesses may, of course. be formed4 in the ends of Athe pivot members before the latter are in- 'son skilled in the art.

' Having .now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let- .ters'Patent, is:

t l1. In a luniversal joint,- two coupling members arranged end to end and each having a pair of transversely spaced jaws -in planes intersecting' the planes of the jaws of the other menber, a connecting block interposed between the jaws of both members, and means for pivotally connecting the Jaws of both members with said connecting block on intersecting axes. the jaws of each member having their inner surfaces flat and parallel one with the other throughout substan tially their entire area, and each jawl having at its root a cross sectional area substantially equal to a sectional area of the body of the member of which that jaw is a `part and bounded on one side by a chord line intersecting the circumference of said body in a transverse plane at the root of -said jaw and in a plane parallel with the inner surface of said jaw and spaced from the longitudinal axis of said member a distancel not greater than the distance between said axis and said inner surface of said jaw, said sectional area of said member being bounded on its other.

side by the 4circumference of the sector formed of said chord line, the lateral edges of each jaw converging in substantially straight lines from the root of said jaw to the plane of the pivotal axis thereof and having their inner portions recessed at the points of contact with the `jaws of the other member.

2. In a universal joint, two coupling members arranged end t'o end and having in their adjacent ends longitudinal slots to provide the feach member being arranged in planes intersectj ing the planes of the jaws of the other member,

a connectingblock between the jaws of both members, and means for pivotally connecting said jaws with ysaid connecting block, the slot' corresponding substantially to the shape and dimensions of that portion of the body of said member on the adjacent side of the plane of the inner surface of said jaw, and the jaws of each member having their inner corners cut away at same with laterally spaced jaws, the jaws of their points` of contact with the jaws of the other member.

GEORGE B. STILLWAGON, JR. 

